Personality and Treatment Compliance: Do certain personality traits influence patient compliance with voice rest?

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Despite its widespread use, limited research exists exploring compliance with prescribed voice rest. The current study explored the relationship between personality and level of patient compliance with voice rest. We hypothesized that Extraversion and Neuroticism has a negative relationship with compliance to voice rest, and that Conscientiousness has a positive relationship with compliance to voice rest.

Method: Case study of seven patients (mean age of 42; 5 males, 2 females) undergoing surgical excision of benign vocal fold lesions prescribed up to 7 days of voice rest following surgical intervention. Participants completed the following self-report instruments: NEO-FFI-3, pre-surgical questionnaire, post-surgical questionnaire, and the VHI.

Results: Descriptive analysis revealed that similar to medication adherence, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism seem to play at least a partial role in compliance with voice rest, a treatment that requires behavioral adherence. Less clear is the relationship between Extraversion and adherent behavior, leaving us unable to provide support in favor of or against Roy and Bless’ (2000) hypothesis.

Discussion: Further understanding of the role that personality plays in compliance may lead to the development of more evidence-based and individualized protocols for voice rest and foster increased success with this treatment.